John Swinney praises new partnership between Scotland and South Korea to develop marine energy

IT IS hoped that the deal will benefit businesses in Scotland and South Korea to jointly develop tidal energy sectors.

A PARTNERSHIP has been formed between Scotland and South Korea to develop marine energy in both countries.

An agreement, known as a Memorandum of Understanding, between Scottish Development International and Incheon Metropolitan City was signed in South Korea today.

It is hoped that the MoU will foster the sharing of knowledge, ideas and technology for the development of marine energy industries while also creating a new market for Scottish tidal energy companies to export products and services.

Finance Secretary John Swinney, who was present at the signing ceremony, said: "Scotland is recognised across the globe for its strengths and expertise in the marine energy sector, and the signing of this MoU today is a true testament of that.

"This marks the start of an exciting new journey which will see businesses in Scotland work in partnership with those in South Korea to jointly develop our tidal energy sectors, helping to grow this into a major global industry.

"It is widely recognised that renewable energy is essential for energy security, for environmental sustainability and for economic prosperity. The Scottish Government is eager to maximise those advantages in order to bring new jobs and investment to Scotland and to develop relationships with other nations overseas."

Frank Boyland, Asia director for Scottish Development International, said: "SDI is fully committed to supporting Scottish companies who have the knowledge, skills and technologies to help deliver what will be a significant future opportunity in Korea. The signing of the MoU will provide an excellent foundation to build stronger relationships with Korean partners, giving the Scottish marine sector an extra competitive edge."

Yoon-soo Park, director of Incheon Metropolitan City green energy policy division, said: "We expect Incheon City and SDI to jointly discover development areas in the field of marine energy via strengthened mutual co-operation. The MoU gives momentum to encourage joint studies and knowledge-sharing, thus helping to establish Incheon as a 'mecca' for tidal energy."